Playboy Enterprises Inc. has tapped into RealNetworks Inc.'s new
Internet-subscription outlet to widen its adult content's online reach.
Under the deal, Playboy.com (www.playboy.com) will use RealNetworks'
"OpenPass" platform to distribute its "Playboy TV Club" premium
broadband-subscription service.
Tapping the base of "RealOne Player" users, OpenPass provides an aggregation
point for third-party branded content and supplies the tools to manage the
resulting transactions, including payment and billing systems, authentication
and content security.
Among the 21 initial brands signing up for OpenPass are Motor Trend,
Sporting News Radio and the Professional Bowlers Association.
Playboy TV Club offers paying customers Playboy Television's original and
exclusive programming in an interactive format. That includes hours of Playboy
shows and online-only content ranging from outtakes to behind-the-scenes
footage, photo galleries and other features.
"By partnering with RealNetworks, the premiere broadband-content aggregator,
we are able to extend the reach of our online broadband product to one of the
largest rich-media audiences on the Web," Playboy.com president Randy Nicolau
said in a release.
"This deal comes on the heels of our first profitable quarter and will enable
us to continue the impressive growth of our online business, of which
subscriptions are already the largest component," he added.
